Drier



Feb. 1o, 1931.

J. B. BERRIGAN ET AL DRIER Filed June 14. 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 1o, 1931,

J. B. BERRIGAN ET -AL DRIER Filed June 14. 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 10,-1931. J. B. BERRIGAN ET AL DRIER Filed June '14, 1929 s sheets'fsneet s Patented Feb. 10, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT ori-ICE Y JOHN E. BERBIGAN, or oA'x raux, ILLINoTs, AND JoHN J. BEnarGAN, DEcEAsED, Ln'rn or can rmx,- ILLmoIs, BY :form B. BEBBIGAN, ADMINISTRATOR., or om man,

ILLINOIS, assIeNons 'ro THE rnEss a DETER co.

DRIEB Application led June 14,

This invention relates to drying apparatus for carrying out the process of drying disclosed in ap licants copending applicati un for patent, )erial No. 276,420, file May 9, 1928. The apparatus herein described is designed for rapidly drying and pulverizing large quantities of material, particularly activated sludge from sewage disposal plants or other plastic substances.

One of the main purposes of the invention is to reduce the cost and time required and increase production with reference to the apparatus heretofore used for reducing sludge to a dry marketable fertilizer. A further purpose of the invention is to provide a machine which utilizes pressure and heat for squeezing water out of the material treated while it is rubbed over highly heated surfaces of large area, and simultaneously subjected to a blast of heated moisture removing medium such as air or products of combustion. This arrangement provides for instantly converting the water content of the material into steam which serves to increase its internal pressure and thus completely disintegrates the material as the steam forces outward. The invention may be carriedinto practice by a. construction such as shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a transverse vertical section of the improved drier.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal elevation thereof, partly in section.

Fig. 3 is a sectional detail taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1. A

Fig. 4 is a sectional detail taken on the line 4 4. of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a erspective view of one of the material feedlng blades.

Fig. 6 is a sectional 6-6 of Fig. 1. Y

In general the construction illustrated is a furnace having provision for burning oil or gas, and mounted on top of a furnace, is a plurality-of large rectangular piston chambers in which pistons are reciprocated by means of a driven crankshaft. The piston chambers receive material for treatment and at each downward stroke the pistons force a measured quantity of the material treated ew taken ,on the .line

1929. Serial No. 370,963.

downwardl between fixed portions or blades extending om top to bottom of the furnace. Each piston carries a plurality of blades .which reciprocate between the fixed surfaces and serve to work the material downwardly at the required rate. The Iixed blades are in a zone which is maintained at high temperature and are so constructed as to allow the passage transversely therethrough and upwardly of a moisture removing medium under pressure.

Below the furnace is a conveyor which receives the treated material and carries it out- .wardly to sacking means.

The reciprocating blades carried by the pistons serve to work the material downwardly b a grinding and rubbin action along the highly heated surfaces o the fixed blades. Due tothe high tem erature at the entering end of the machine t e material is promptly surface dried and disrupted by the steam generated therein as it is being further torn apart and shredded, due to the interaction between the fixed blades and the reciprocating blades, the surfaces of both being suitably formed for this purpose. Toward the outlet end of the machine the temperature is decreased so that the material treated as it -becomes dried is not burned.

- The specific construction shown in the drawings consists of a furnace which rests upon the I-beams 2 and is internally lined with an insulated lire-resisting material 3.

Mounted on to of the furnace is a casting 4 providing a p urality of rectangular piston chambers 5. Mounted on to ofthe castin 4.- in bearings 5 is a cranks aft 6, which 1s driven by a motor shaft 7 carrying a pinion Smashing with a gear 9 on 'the crankshaft. The connecting rods 10 communicate the motion of the rotating crankshaft to rectangular'v istons 11 fitting the piston chambers 5. Vshen a piston is at the upper end of its stroke as illustrated in Fig. 1, the space beneath it is filled with the material to be -treated which may then enter the piston chamber through the plort 12. The port is closed by the piston as t e latter moves downwardly. Thus the ratey of movement of the piston and the pressure in back of the ma terial serves to determine the quantity of material received at each stroke.

For the purpose of working the material downwardly, between heated surfaces in the furnace, suspended from each piston on rods 13is a plurality of slotted blades 14. A preferred arrangement of slots 15 in the blades 14 is indicated in Fig. 5.

The set of blades of each piston cooperates with a compactunit of fixed metal partitions 16 extending from top to bottom of the furnace. Each unit of the partitions 16 is held together by tie-bolts. These partitions are so shaped as to provide slots 17 between them through which the reciprocating blades 14 pass. When very wet, clayey substances such as activated sludge are treated,-the clearance between the reciprocating blades and the fixed partitions 16 is slight.

In order to increase the efficiency and surface area of the partitions 16. these are countersunk as indicated at 18, Fig. 4, and Fig. l over the greater part ofthe area thereof. Except for the outer surfaces of the end plates of each unit the blades 16 are also perforated at 19 to allow the passage therethrough of a moisture removing medium. The flanges 20 of the partition 16 are also slotted at 21 to allow the passage therethrough and through the material being treated of products of combustion.

A combustion chamber 22 is at the right of the furnace Fig. 1 and the products of combustion together with the steam and moisture removed from the material treated are received in the chamber 23, and either by the natural draft or a blower are drawn outwardly through the stack fiue 24.

Air for removing moisture and supplying the burner is delivered from compressors to conduits 25 and 26. The compressed air carried by conduit 25 passes through a heating coil 27 in chamber 23 of the furnace and from there by means of conduits 28 and 29 is delivered to the burner nozzles 30. These nozzles receive oil from the conduit 31. The air passing through conduit 26 is delivered to a header 32 from which it passes to separate heating coils 33, before being discharged into the comminuting and drying means by the pipes 34. These pipes at their discharge end are tapped into the fianges l.20 of adjacent partitions 16, so as to deliver the air under pressure to the blade spaces 17 of Fig. 4.

Below the furnace is a screw conveyor 35 which receives the drying material and carries it out of the machine.

In the operation of the drier the Wet material which, if activated sludge, may run as high as 80% or 90% moisture, is continuously fed to the machine. When the port 12 is uncovered the piston chamber having such port is filled and on the downward stroke of the piston the port is closed,

and the material is forced into the slots 17 at the sides of the reciprocating blades. The material immediately lcomes into contact with highly heated surfaces and is dried and shredded by the rubbing action of the blades 14 along-the surfaces of the partitions 16. The blast of heated air and products of vcombustion sweep the steam. outwardly into the furnace chamber 23. The drying operation is performed with great rapidity. The incoming material by the action of the reciprocating blades serves to crowd the dried material downwardly and prevents any of the material fromstaying in the countersunk holes 18. As the volume of the material rapidly decreases 'because of the moisture removed therefrom, the fixed partitions 16 are more or less tapered at their upper ends as shown in Fig. 3. It is also obvious that the pressure exerted upon the material treated by the action of the pistons and the rubbing blades 14 is increased by the pressure of the steam generated in the material which also preferably serves to disrupt the same. In any event the dried material delivered to the conveyor 35 is finely divided and in ideal condition for shipment and fertilizing the soil. this material passes through a zone of considerable heat, it is not burned, due to the rapidity of the drying action.

Although but one specific embodiment of vmy invention has been hereiny shown and described, it will be understood that details of the construction may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of this invention, as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A drying apparatus comprising a structure forming a piston chamber, an opening in said chamber for the admission of material to be dried, a plurality of partition walls forming narrow channels in communication with said piston chamber, means for heating said partition walls, a piston and means for reciprocating said pistonl in said piston chamber, said piston being arranged to close said opening while 'compressing said material into said channels, and blades carried by said piston and extending into said channels.

2. A drying apparatus comprising a structure forming a piston chamber, an opening in said chamber for the admission of material to be dried, a plurality of partition walls forming narrow channels in communication with said piston chamber,

means for heating said partition walls, a piston and means for reciprocating said piston in said piston chamber, said piston bef ing arrange to close said opening while compressing said material into said chan.- nels, and blades carried by said piston and While extending into said channels, said blades being provided with openings the edges of which engage the material in said passageways.

3. Apparatus ofthe class described, com

prising awall structure including a plurality of partitions spaced apart to provide narrow passageways. means for feeding material to be dried along said passageways, said means comprising blades mounted for reciprocation in said passageways, said blades being formed to progressively feed material from end to end of said passageways, means for heating said partitions, and means for delivering air under pressure to said passageways.

4. A drying apparatus comprising a structure forming a piston chamber, an opening in said chamber for the admission of material to be dried, a plurality of partition walls forming narrow channels in communication with said piston chamber, said partition walls being provided with ya plurality of depressions on the surface thereof, means for heating said partition walls, a .piston and means for reciprocating said piston in said piston chamber, said piston being arranged to close said opening while compressing said material into said channels, and blades car-v ried by said piston and extending into said channels.

5. A drying apparatus comprising a st'ructure forming a piston chamber,an'opening in said chamber for the admission of material to be dried, a plurality of partition walls forming narrow channels in communication with said piston chamber, means for heating said partition walls, a pist'on and means for reciprocating said piston in said piston chamber, said piston being arranged to close said openingwhile compressing said material into said channels, and slotted blades carried' by said piston and extending into said channels. 4

6. Apparatus of the class described, comprising a wall structure including a plurality of partitions spaced apart to provide narrow passageways, means for feeding material to be dried along said passageways, said means comprising blades mounted for reciprocationin said passageways, said blades being formed to progressively feed material Jfrom end to end of said passageways, means for heating said partitions, and means for delivering a moisture removing medium under pressure into said passagewaysl 7. A drying apparatus comprising a walled structure supporting a piston chamber at its upper end, a plurality of closely spaced, parallel partition walls, forming narrow channels below said piston chamber and in communication therewith, an opening in said piston chamber for the admission of material to be dried, a piston mounted for vertical reciprocation in said piston chamber, said pisfor applying heat to the interior of said strucsupporting beneath it a nest of narrow blades interfitting with said partitions, means for applying heat to the interiorof said struc-r ture, and means for reciprocating said piston and the blades carried thereby, whereby the piston will 4pass and close the openings in the piston chamber andpress said material into the channels, and the blades will rub the material over` the partition walls.

8. An apparatus of the class described, comprising an enclosing wall structure, means for circulating heated Amoisture removing medium through the interior of said structure, means for forcing under pressure material to be dried downwardly into the upper end of said structure, a nest of vertically arranged partition walls within said structure below the pressure feeding means, and arranged to provide a plurality of narrow passageways of large surface area, a nest of vertically reciprocal elements interitting with said partition walls, and ar ranged to rub material forced between said partition walls over the surfaces thereof, and means for reciprocating the said elements.

9. An apparatus of the class described, comprising an enclosing wall structure, means for circulating heated moisture removing medium through the interior of said structure, means for forcing under pressure material to be dried downwardly into the upper end of said structure, a nest of vertically arranged partition walls within said structure below the pressure feeding means, and arranged to provide a plurality of narrow passageways of large surface area, means for maintaining said partition walls at a high temperature, a nest of vertically reclprocal elements interitting with said partition walls, and arranged 'to rub material forced between said partition walls over the surfaces thereof, and means for reciprocating the said elements.

' Signed at Chicago this 24th day of March,

JOHN B. BERRIGAN. n JOHN B. BERRGAN, Admam'stmor of John J. Berga/a, Deceased.

CERTIFICATE oF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,792,064. Granted February 10, -1931', to

JOHN B. EERR'IGAN ET AL.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 3, claim 7, strike out lines 69, 70 and 7l; and that the said Letters Patent should Vbc read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

' Signed and sealed` this 17th day of March, A. D. 1931.

M. J. Moore, (sul) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

